Preserving Native Siberian Culture
Indigenous Peoples of Russia's East Keep Ancient Ways Alive
Native Siberians who wish to preserve their culture face challenges, not only because they are members of a minority population in Russia's eastern territory.
Comparisons have been made between Russia's expansion into the east – Siberia – and the United States expansion into the west – towards California. Both expansions involved adaptation to new territory and wildlife and the desire to conquer new frontiers. Unfortunately, within those frontiers resided native people who had lived with the land for thousands of years. In the United States' case, it was the Native Americans who were ill-used or killed; in Siberia, native tribes of indigenous people suffered a similar fate.
Preserving Native Siberian Cultures – Indigenous Minorities
The native people of Siberia are a minority, with each tribe represented by decreasing numbers of individuals. After tsarist expansion, as well as the Russian government's practice of shipping political prisoners and criminals to Siberia, the Russian population grew as the native populations dwindled. While there has been some indication that some native populations may be on the upswing, this is not true for every tribe, some in which only a handful of individuals remain.
Preserving Native Siberian Cultures – Language and Religion
Larger and more organized native Siberian tribes may have thriving languages and religion. Unfortunately, those tribes whose members are spread out or are few in number, may have forgotten or found little use for native ways of communication and worship. Russian language is widely spoken throughout Siberia, whereas native languages are used generally within native communities. Larger groups of indigenous people have been able to set up schools where native language is taught, but other languages are preserved, if at all, only by the careful work of ethnographers.
Native religions are also practiced more or less, depending upon tribes' infrastructures or the personal interest of their members. Shamanism, once widely practiced throughout Siberia, is still alive, though finding evidence of shamans may be difficult for the outsider. Some shamanistic rituals have been passed down through family members, while other “shamans” come into this occupation by other means.
Preserving Native Siberian Cultures – Museums and Ethnographic Records
Museums in Siberia are not always equipped to preserve artifacts from indigenous peoples. While there is some dedication to displaying native clothing, tools, and toys, some Siberian museums lack necessary means of preservation – they may not even have temperature controls to slow the natural process of decay.
Ethnographic records exist, but these documents must be read with caution. During the Soviet era, ethnographers were unable to record rituals and religious beliefs of native Siberians due to Communist denial of shamanism. Therefore, ethnographers modified their reports so that disapproving eyes would not find fault in what was written there.
Today, more parallels between the Native Americans and the native Siberian peoples can be drawn – alcoholism is rampant, native communities maybe poor, and individuals must fight apathy, majority social expectations, and other factors in order to preserve their culture.
References
Beskhlebnaya, Natasha. “Sleeping on Graveyards: Traveling through 300 Years of Khakass History.” Russian Life, May/June 2007.
Reid, Anna. The Shaman's Coat: A Native History of Siberia. Phoenix: London, 2002.
